1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to dental instruments and in particular to prophylactic covers for dental instruments and methods for making the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the various health professions have come under close scrutiny due to the increased possibility of the transmission of infectious diseases from doctor to patient, patient to doctor, and patient to patient. This is particularly true in the dental office, where dental appliances come in direct contact with potentially harmful fluids or blood-born pathogens, such as Hepatitis B and HIV, found within the oral cavity. With the predicted increase in the number of cases of infection with the Hepatitis B and HIV viruses, dentists will be treating more patients carrying these infections, knowingly or unknowingly. Consequently, the possibility of accidental transmission of these dangerous infectious diseases will correspondingly increase.
One particular path of pathogen transmission within the dental office is through the high speed and low speed air-driven dental hand pieces. These appliances come in direct contact with the patient's oral cavity during use and often collect blood, minute debris and other microbial and particulate matter, which have been shown to be a source of blood-born pathogen transmission, including the transmission of the Hepatitis B and HIV viruses. Because of the potential for transmission of pathogens by dental hand pieces, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued detailed guidelines for proper handling and sterilization of these devices following each patient use. Among other things, proper hand piece sterilization involves autoclaving the instrument at approximately 15 psi and 121.degree. C. for a period of thirty minutes (cold sterilization using a disinfectant solution is often ineffective). This requirement, although necessary, drastically reduces the number of patients that can be effectively treated during the dentist's normal work day due to the increased time required to both autoclave and cool instruments. (The cost of dental hand pieces range from a few hundred to well over a thousand dollars, which makes it economically difficult to maintain a large number of such appliances in order to handle an increased patient load). Moreover, repetitive autoclaving has been shown to decrease the useful life of the instruments themselves.
Another concern related to the use of high-speed dental hand pieces is the noise level at which the dentist is exposed. The typical high-speed dental hand piece produces noise in the frequency range of 2,000 to 3,500 Hertz, with a typical amplitude of 80 decibels at approximately 2,000 Hertz. With the average dentist spending many hours per week, over a number of years, exposed to the noise from dental appliances, the potential readily exists for the dental practitioner to experience some type of hearing disorder.
In sum, the need has arisen for apparatus and methods which provide a practical means for preventing dental hand pieces from coming in direct contact with potentially harmful fluids or blood-born pathogens found within the oral cavity. Moreover, it would be highly advantageous if such methods and apparatus could also reduce the noise level to which the dental practitioner is exposed during the use of such hand pieces.